Throwback: Beautiful Image of Kashmiri Woman in 1979

Today’s blast from the past comes to us from Old School Cool on Reddit. User dactyif shared this image of his mother taken in Kashmir in the winter of 1979. I know what you’re thinking, “Kashmir? Where have I seen that before?” You see it whenever you read a post written by lil ole me!

For those of you who aren’t geographically inclined (or weren’t named after a classic rock hit by Led Zeppelin like your’s truly), Kashmir is the valley between the Himalayan and the Pir Panjal mountain ranges. These days, that entire region (nestled between India, Pakistan, and China) is a state called “Jammu and Kashmir.” The state is comprised of the areas Jammu, the Vale of Kashmir, and Ladakh and, to the best of my understanding, is “administrated” by India (not unlike how the U.S. “administers” Puerto Rico). It’s kind of confusing, though – there have been disagreements over who owns the area ever since white people got involved. There are all kinds of treaties and land agreements between Britain and India, but then Pakistan and China didn’t agree to them, so they were essentially null, and then I heard China showed up to the prom with India’s date and it was just so disrespectful and the turmoil really just ruined senior year, to be completely honest.

This picture was taken during a time of peace in Kashmir. The photographer, probably her husband, captured the mischievous grin building on her face – I get the feeling she was about to grab a handful of snow and chuck it at him! The colors have faded from the original image, one of the perils of analog photography, but another redditor was able to lighten and add color back into the image.

Stunning, isn’t it? I can appreciate the craft and skill that goes into analog cameras and the process of developing your own film, but the technological advancements we have today are breathing life into these old images in the most wonderful way! With digital editing software we are able to turn faded memories into vivid pieces of history – and for this family, an old picture that was stuffed in a box under the bed is now a beautiful memory!